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'W. H. VAN GIBSON. MOUNTING 0R COVERING HEADS 0F NAILS.

Patented Dec; 29, 1857.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFTCE.

WM. H. VAN GIESON, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, S. M. BUCK- INGHAM AND E. BROlVN, OF SAME PLACE.

COVERING THE HEADS OF NAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,007, dated December 29, 1857.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WM. H. VAN GIEsoN, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Mounting, Covering, or Plating the Heads of Nails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1, 2, and 3, are detached views of a metal plate which is swaged over and around the head of the nail; said views showing the form of the plate as first cut, and the shape in which it is swaged before it is applied to the head of the nail. Fig. 4, is a section of the plate applied to the head of the nail, and before it is swaged to or around the head. Fig. 5, is a section of the plate snugly fitted or swaged around the head of the nail. Figs. 6, 7, and 8, are detached views of the plates hitherto used, showing the original form and the shape in which they were swaged. Fig. 9, is a detached view of the auxiliary or supplementary plate below the head of the nail. Fig. 10 is a section of the ordinary plate, before being swaged around the auxiliary plate. Fig. 11, is a section of the ordinary plate, when it is swaged around the auxiliary plate.

This invention consists of a new article of manufacture, viz, a nail covered substantially as herein described.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, Fig. 1, represents a side or edge view, and Fig. 2, a plan or face view of a blank, or the form of the plate or covering for the head of the nail. This blank or plate, it will be seen by referring to Fig. 2, is of star form; the length of the points (a) being equal in length to about half the distance from their ends to the center of the blank. These blanks are cut from sheet metal by means of proper dies, and are then swaged in cup or dish form as shown clearly in 3; the points (a) being bent down at r1ght angles with the central portion of the blank. The blank thus swaged is applied to the head (6) of the nail B, and the points are swaged inward or toward the inner surface or side of the head (6), as shown in Fig. 4, and the points are then swaged and compressed firmly against the inner side of the head (6) the points being closed snugly around the head. By this means the blank or plate A, is snugly fitted over the head (6) and the plate will be fully able to sustain or receive, without being loosened from the head, the blows to which it is necessarily subjected in being used. Nails having their heads covered or mounted in my improved manner, have a much neater appearance than those covered in the usual way, and they are far stronger and more durable, that is, as regards the mounting or the covering of the heads, for the heads are as firm as if they were perfectly solid.

The usual mode of covering or mounting the heads is as follows: Circular blanks C, Figs. 6 and 7 are used. These blanks are swaged in cup form as shown in Fig. 8; and the nail D, is placed, through a circular plate E, which is also swaged in cup form; see Fig. 9; said plate being placed against the inner side of the head (0) of the nail D, and the blank C swaged or closed around the edge of the plate E. These plates E are cut from tinned plate. The ordinary nail, completed, is shown in Fig. 11.

The objection attending the usual mode of covering the head is that the circular plate or blank C cannot be firmly closed around the edge of the plate E, that is, sufficient lap cannot be obtained, for the edges of the blanks C cannot be upset, and even with a small lap, a neat edge or periphery cannot be given to the blanks. The heads thus covered are not solid nor durable; the blanks are liable to become detached from the heads, and they cannot be subjected to blows or driven into wood by a hammer applied directly to them. Hence nails of this description require to have holes bored for them, so that they do not require heavy blows to be driven home. This,however, renders them insecure, and they are employed more for ornament than use, and are commonly termed trunk, upholstery, coffin nails, etc, according to the uses to which they are applied.

By my improvement, the blanks or plates are firmly secured to the heads (1)) and cannot be casually detached. They may be subjected to the usual blows, or the same as those to which ordinary nails are subjected When driven into Wood, and Without the least injury. They may also be made cheaper than those now manufactured, and the improvement may be applied to carpet tacks and quite small nails.

I do not claim the cutting out and bending from the center outward of disks of metal for the purpose of making gromets,

as in the patent of John Alexander, June 20, 1854. A piece of metal cut in the form necessary for a gromet could by no possibility be made to cover a nail head. But

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as a new article of manufacture is A nail covered in the manner substantially as herein described.

WM. H. VAN GIESON. 'Witnesses:

J. F. BUGKLEY,

SELIM FRAs. COHEN. 

